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What new brewers should know.
Award-winning members of the Fellowship of Oklahoma Ale Makers (F.O.A.M.) provide tips for making your brewing experience a delicious one.
Eric Marshall, Marshall Brewing Co.
Sanitize. “The most important thing in home brewing is cleanliness. That is kind of the golden rule of homebrewing: Clean and sanitize everything.”
Experiment. “Brew beers you like to drink, but also don’t hesitate to do something completely different and off the wall. Experimenting with styles or blazing your own trail keeps things fun and exciting.”
Dan Wells, Best-of-show runner-up, FOAM Cup 2008
Master the basics. “Keep it simple and start out with an ale that will ferment quickly. You can get crazy later, but start out working on the basics of brewing.”
Careful with the wort. “Keep things clean, especially after the wort has cooled. Anything that touches the wort/beer at that point should be dipped or rinsed in sanitizer.”
Mark Ashcraft, FOAM member and homebrewer since 1992
Quality is key. “Ask your local homebrew supplier to direct you to the quality ingredients and hardware.”
H2O. “Water is very important and is a major characteristic of many beers, such as Samuel Smith’s beers, which have a high mineral content.”
Shawn Scott, Best-of-show beer, 2008 FOAM Cup
Education. Review books on brewing, but “take them with a grain of salt,” Scott warns. Sometimes books have traditions that don’t apply to today’s brewing methods.
Yeast is a brewer’s best friend. “Brewers get the best-quality ingredients and manipulate them with care, but the yeast does all the real work.”
Jeff Swearengin, Best-of-show mead and best all-grain beer, 2008 FOAM Cup
Join the club. “The biggest piece of advice I could give new brewers is to join a club. Wasting time and money isn't fun, so get started down the right path by talking with people (who have) already been trekking. Come join the comrade of homebrewing.”
